In a mid-sized city in Southern Brazil, home to the largest concentration of Arabs and Muslims in South
America, a Brazilian pastor and his wife open their home and prepare a meal for Arab-Muslim guests. In the
midst of this encounter, which could last for several hours (no one is keeping an eye on the clock), the
couple offers a model of a Christian family and verbally communicates the Gospel while showing hospitality.
After interviewing forty-five Brazilian missionaries in 2009 and 2010, I found that this scenario was not an
isolated one; rather, Brazilians serving around the Arab world are naturally and intentionally ministering to
Arabs through this shared cultural value. More than a mere cultural value, hospitality is a biblical value
that is also a requirement for church leaders in the New Testament. In the context of global ministry, it is a
vital element for transcultural missions work as it creates an environment for relationships, authentic
evangelism and discipleship, and Christian fellowship.
In this paper, I have a few modest goals. First, through surveying the relevant cultural literature, I will
examine how Arabs and Brazilians regard and generally practice hospitality. Second, based on survey responses
from forty-fiveBrazilian missionaries serving in Arab contexts, I will discuss how Brazilians perceive hospitality in the Arab world. In part, this will reveal some significant cultural proximity between Brazilians and Arabs toward the shared value of hospitality as well as show how Brazilians are using hospitality in mission to Arabs. Finally, I will conclude briefly by discussing the missiological implications for Brazilian hospitality in the Arab-Muslim world. (from Smither, Brazilian Evangelical Missions in the Arab World).
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